2. Think about the two worlds, the Midwest and the East, as Fitzgerald describes them, and what they represent for Nick and for Gatsby?
As Nick says at the beginning of the novel, the West was the “ragged edge of the universe.” Both Nick and Gatsby came from the Midwest and, eventually, moved to the East. In the novel, there is a clear division of the East, Tom and Daisy, and the West, Nick and Gatsby. The difference between East and West does not just represent the social differences of the four characters, but also represents the difficulty of attaining the American Dream. Daisy and Tom appear to already be living the American Dream, they are rich, have a daughter, and aren’t really affected by all that much. Gatsby and Nick, on the other hand, live in the West Egg and are pursuing their American Dreams in the wake of the Great War. Nick goes into the bond business and Gatsby is doing God-knows-what. However close they come, they don’t quite get there. Nick ends up giving up and moving back to the Midwest and Gatsby gives his all to win Daisy back, but fails.
3. Compare and contrast Gatsby's social class with that of Tom and Daisy Buchanan. How does geography contribute to the definition of social class in The Great Gatsby?
Tom and Daisy Buchanan are in the social class of old money. Gatsby on the other hand is an odd anomaly on West Egg with a large sum of money. The story of where he acquired his money is unknown and his past is a mystery. While Tom and Daisy live on East Egg Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg. According to social code, East Egg consists of the higher class of old money.
The “East Egg” is the rich, civilized side of society while the “West Egg” is the less tasteful, poorer side of society. Even though they may approach each other in wealth, there is a clear division between East and West Egg; both geographically and socially. Even though Gatsby is very well off, he lives in the West Egg while Daisy lives in the East with Tom, so right off the bat there is a huge barrier to overcome as far as social class goes.
What part of his past is Gatsby trying to recapture? Is he successful? Is there a person, feeling, or event in your life you'd like to revisit?
Throughout the book, Gatsby is constantly working to relive his romance with Daisy. Although Gatsby comes close, he never really gets to relive the romance because of the dividing factors between he and Daisy. No matter how well he is doing, it's just a lost battle, he won't be able to relive it. He doesn't seem to realize that though, and pursues his "dream". Towards the beginning of the book, Gatsby throws enormous parties, but the story is that no one actually knows Gatsby that well or sees him at the parties. As the story progresses the reader understands that Gatsby is throwing the parties in the hopes that his long lost love Daisy will show up. Later on, when Gatsby is reintroduced to Daisy, their conversation is awkward and stressed. Gatsby is uncomfortable around her and is unable to communicate effectively. Gatsby wonders if Daisy is not up to par with the Daisy he kept in his mind for years. The actual reunification is not what he imagined in his head. Again, the story goes on and Gatsby and Daisy find their love for each other again. However, Daisy is married to Tom and even though Tom is cheating on her, he is not ready to let her go. Even though Daisy and Gatsby find their love again and are reunited, Gatsby's dreams are never reached.
2. Think about the two worlds, the Midwest and the East, as Fitzgerald describes them, and what they represent for Nick and for Gatsby?
As Nick says at the beginning of the novel, the West was the “ragged edge of the universe.” Both Nick and Gatsby came from the Midwest and, eventually, moved to the East. In the novel, there is a clear division of the East, Tom and Daisy, and the West, Nick and Gatsby. The difference between East and West does not just represent the social differences of the four characters, but also represents the difficulty of attaining the American Dream. Daisy and Tom appear to already be living the American Dream, they are rich, have a daughter, and aren’t really affected by all that much. Gatsby and Nick, on the other hand, live in the West Egg and are pursuing their American Dreams in the wake of the Great War. Nick goes into the bond business and Gatsby is doing God-knows-what. However close they come, they don’t quite get there. Nick ends up giving up and moving back to the Midwest and Gatsby gives his all to win Daisy back, but fails.
3. Compare and contrast Gatsby's social class with that of Tom and Daisy Buchanan. How does geography contribute to the definition of social class in The Great Gatsby?
Tom and Daisy Buchanan are in the social class of old money. Gatsby on the other hand is an odd anomaly on West Egg with a large sum of money. The story of where he acquired his money is unknown and his past is a mystery. While Tom and Daisy live on East Egg Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg. According to social code, East Egg consists of the higher class of old money.
The “East Egg” is the rich, civilized side of society while the “West Egg” is the less tasteful, poorer side of society. Even though they may approach each other in wealth, there is a clear division between East and West Egg; both geographically and socially. Even though Gatsby is very well off, he lives in the West Egg while Daisy lives in the East with Tom, so right off the bat there is a huge barrier to overcome as far as social class goes.
What part of his past is Gatsby trying to recapture? Is he successful? Is there a person, feeling, or event in your life you'd like to revisit?
Throughout the book, Gatsby is constantly working to relive his romance with Daisy. Although Gatsby comes close, he never really gets to relive the romance because of the dividing factors between he and Daisy. No matter how well he is doing, it's just a lost battle, he won't be able to relive it. He doesn't seem to realize that though, and pursues his "dream". Towards the beginning of the book, Gatsby throws enormous parties, but the story is that no one actually knows Gatsby that well or sees him at the parties. As the story progresses the reader understands that Gatsby is throwing the parties in the hopes that his long lost love Daisy will show up. Later on, when Gatsby is reintroduced to Daisy, their conversation is awkward and stressed. Gatsby is uncomfortable around her and is unable to communicate effectively. Gatsby wonders if Daisy is not up to par with the Daisy he kept in his mind for years. The actual reunification is not what he imagined in his head. Again, the story goes on and Gatsby and Daisy find their love for each other again. However, Daisy is married to Tom and even though Tom is cheating on her, he is not ready to let her go. Even though Daisy and Gatsby find their love again and are reunited, Gatsby's dreams are never reached.
Work Cited
Kahn Estate, Oheka Castle. Digital image. Wikipedia. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Kahn_Estate%2C_Oheka_Castle.jpg>.
Cugat, Francis. The Great Gatsby Book Cover. Digital image. The Entertainment Blur. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. http://entertainmentblur.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/gatsby.jpg.